Technology is changing the face of the advertising industry as we know it. But there is something else that is radically changing the way it used to be. We all know that the age of one-way marketing is well and truly over thanks to the digital revolution. And how the ‘hard sell’ and act of ‘persuasion’ no longer cuts it with modern, technology-loving consumers. Today, it’s all about the power of influence. Marketing movements matter.

But although technology and the Internet has changed advertising as we know it, there’s also something else that’s re-writing the rules of marketing and is about to make an enormous impact on North America’s advertising industry. And that’s the BRIC nations.

BRICS is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa. But BRIC is an outdated term. Today you'd need to add BRICSDVIKS by easily adding Vietnam/Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, Singapore and Dubai to that list because they are hugely influential. And growing. Look at the Middle East as an example. There are over 350 Million people under the age of 20 living between Turkey and Pakistan in the age of Twitter where Uprisings and aspirations live side by side. In this region, Abu Dhabi is Washington and Dubai is New York, the Center of Now where many of the youth want to move for their careers and the dream of a better life. Check out BrownBook the coolest mag in the region for inspiration.

While the rest of the globe suffers financial crisis, job losses and shrinking industries - these BRICSDVIKS countries are transforming the world before our very eyes. Their economies are booming at unprecedented rates, their populations are exploding and everyone is consuming like never before. And while the middle class is disappearing in the US it's growing with a vengeance in the BRICSDVIKS.

Apparently, in 2007 – for the first time in history – China, Russia and India combined accounted for over half of the world’s economic growth. That’s a phenomenal figure. And with all these new markets, new consumers and new wealth it’s predicted that BRICSDVIKS nations will spend over one third of the world’s advertising dollars this year. This is having a big impact. Seth Godin posted on his videoblog that Americans are living in "Forever Recession" and need to work harder at differentiating themselves.

Make no mistake; as the middle class grows in the BRICSDVIKS nations, advertising has become significant and a growth industry in these fast-growing economies and they’ve got a hell of a lot of influence on the rest of the globe. So the question I would ask anyone who is studying advertising or communications in America is, where should you go for your first job? LA or Dubai, Shanghai or anywhere else in the BRICSDVIKS nations?

Advertising in BRICSDVIKS countries presents new opportunities but also challenges, which means advertisers have had to find new ways to reach their markets. This is where BRICSDVIKS nations start to transform the very heart of marketing, making it a brave new world for us all.

Take Russia, for example. When President Putin banned alcohol advertising, brands had to become inventive to promote their drinks products. For instance, Vodka brand Tariko decided to open the ‘Russian Standard Bank’ under the same name and advertise that instead. And it worked! People got the joke and it started a trend that other beer companies copied, including Kingfisher Beer in India who launched 'Kingfisher Airlines’. Called ‘Surrogate Branding’, this hot new trend of marketing is popular because there are few true local emotional brands in the BRICSDVIKS.

Then what about India? It’s a nation that has completely transformed over the past 10 years with an estimated 300 million Indians now considered to be millionaires and upper ‘middle class’. One brand that was huge is Nokia. Their success is down to one thing – understanding the nation’s people. Nokia understood that thousands of Indians live in remote villages, where advertising is often difficult to penetrate. So they sent customized mobile theatres out into the Indian countryside where actors would entertain and perform to spectators, showcasing the benefits of cell phones.

Elsewhere, you only have to look at the billboard-advertising ban in Brazil’s Sao Paulo to see how advertisers are being forced to throw out the rulebook and come up with new and interesting ways to get their message across, mainly through the power of influence.

China is also making a big impact due to its love of knock-off brands. It is in fact the leading source of pirated film, video games and just about anything else. For instance, if you love Blackberry but can’t afford one – you can purchase a cheaper ‘Redberry’. This love of ‘fake’ brands in China is making advertisers re-think the whole concept of a logo or slogan – and how it’s something that they can no longer rely on to protect brands. In Japan the cool kids wear Arnold Palmer or Playboy stylish clothing. And in Vietnam digital agencies are making impacts outside Vietnam.

All the lessons that are being learnt, all the ways in which advertising is being transformed – the BRICSDVIKS countries are the force behind it all. As they shift the balance of power from West to East, they are finding new and inventive ways to reach consumers and sell products and services. As a result, new trends are emerging. The rules of marketing are being turned upside down. And the whole world is watching, learning and following in their footsteps to reach consumers on a whole new level.

Because of their influence, advertisers in North America have to understand that brands must now innovate while brands strengthen their relationships with their customers. That’s if they want to make any kind of impact moving forward.

There's another impact that is happening. Wonderful talent from BRICSDVIKS countries are dominating the advertising world. Talent from Russia is making their way to London. Brazilians are pouring into US agencies, Dubai is attracting young talent looking for adventure from across the globe.

So what are the ones to watch in 2012? Just take a look at BRICSDVIKS – they’re building the future of advertising.